Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika Preview and Picks January 8

Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika Franco Betting Preview

Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika takes place at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre boxing in a IBF and The Ring cruiserweight title bout on Wednesday, January 8 as WagerTalk boxing handicapper Kevin Dolan gives his Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika betting preview with the match set to start around 6:00am ET.

Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika Betting Odds

Wednesday, January 8	Boxing Betting Notes (Courtesy of DraftKings)
Moneyline:	Jai Opetaia -1100 vs. David Nyika +650
Rounds:	N/A
Start Time:	6:00am ET / 3:00am PT
Arena:	Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
TV:	DAZN

Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika Betting Analysis

Undefeated cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia will put his belts on the line this coming Wednesday as he faces the powerful David Nyika in a battle of Australia versus New Zealand in Queensland.

Opetaia, who has firmly put himself as #1 in the division after his initial win over Mairis Briedis two years ago, looks set to solidify himself at cruiserweight before a potential run at heavyweight in the near future.

David Nyika, meanwhile, has other plans. The undefeated Kiwi, with nine knockouts from his ten fights so far, is determined to pull off the shock upset on the Gold Coast and put his name firmly at the top of the division.

Jai Opetaia comes into this fight as the sizeable -1100 favorite on Tuesday, with David Nyika coming back as a +650 underdog at most sportsbooks.

Short Notice Change For Opetaia

After his destruction of Jack Massey back in October, IBF and Ring Magazine champion Jai Opetaia was meant to defend his belt against the IBF’s #1 contender Huseyin Cinkara, who was unfortunately forced to pull out of the bout due to suffering a broken ankle in training.

That sets up a much more interesting fight, however, for Australasian fans ahead of this one as one of the top cruiserweight prospects in the region, if not the world, David Nyika, was willing to step up on short notice to save the card.

That sets up a much more interesting dynamic here for Opetaia who was initially preparing for an almost 40-year-old Cinkara, against a much fresher, and arguably a fighter who holds a better resume as well in David Nyika.

Nyika Focusing On Opetaia’s Weaknesses

Two-time Commonwealth Games gold-medalist, and Olympic bronze-medalist David Nyika holds no illusions as to the task that faces him here on Wednesday, yet he remains optimistic due to what he witnessed in Opetaia’s rematch against Mairis Briedis over the summer.

Nyika stated in a recent interview that he felt Opetaia faded down the stretch in that fight, with the bully becoming the bullied and showing vulnerabilities, and the New Zealander hopes he can emulate Briedis’ second-half success and put it on Opetaia from the outset in this one.

Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika Expert Prediction

David Nyika has sparred against Jai Opetaia in the past, and while sparring definitely doesn’t have the same intensity or pressure of a live-action fight, he nonetheless has a good idea of what he’s up against here and knows he can match Opetaia in speed and power.

That said, this is a huge step up for Nyika here on Wednesday, and it’s likely a few fights too soon also, but his size (he holds a four-inch height advantage over Opetaia) and lethal power should ensure he nonetheless gets Opetaia’s respect early in this one.

However, as the fight wears on and Opetaia’s greater distance control and accuracy start to take over, we’re expecting the Australian to slowly break his man down and get the stoppage towards the end of the fight.

Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika Prediction: Jai Opetaia to Win in Rounds 9-12

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